Compact HLIF LiDAR for marine applications

Abstract

The accidental discharge or accumulated pollution in seawater constitutes high risk of damage to the marine environment. Early detection of deviations in water quality allows taking preventive measures in order to minimize harmful influence of pollution or to implement adequate response actions before the pollution becomes a major spill. This requires regular monitoring of risk areas with effective, reliable, and economically sustainable solutions. The Hyperspectral Laser Induced Fluorescence (HLIF) LiDAR (light detection and ranging) combines highly sensitive and selective oil-in-water detection with characterization capabilities based on feature extraction and pattern recognition in HLIF spectra. Therefore, this technique is equally effective for oil detection in open and coastal waters. Operated in unattended mode as a payload of marine vehicles, it delivers the real-time analytical capabilities directly on site. This article describes the development of HLIF LiDAR and its application on board of operational vessels in the Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea, and the Baltic Sea during the period 2014–2015.